Indian uni suspends professor for insulting goddess Durga

Kedal Kumar Mandal, a Delhi University assistant professor, has been suspended from his college for allegedly posting a “derogatory and objectionable” post about the Hindu goddess Durga, on Facebook last Friday.

The suspension follows a police report lodged against Mandal by the National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) over the insulting post, which was made one day into the nine-day Navaratri festival – a nine-day celebration in honour of Durga (Hindustan Times).

“We will summon him to join investigation. A case has been registered. No one has been arrested yet,” a police officer told HT on Sunday.

Complaint lodged against Delhi University professor for insulting Goddess Durga pic.twitter.com/ag3r1pYkhF

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A memorandum demanding action against Mandal was also submitted by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), one of the largest student organisation in the country.

Mandal had reportedly posted “Durga is the very much sexy prostitute in the Indian Methology (sic),” according to The Hindu, a post that drew wide condemnation.

The assistant professor has apologised for the post. However, Dyal Singh College’s principal IS Bakshi said it would not be accepted and Mandal was requested to appear before the college’s governing body on Monday evening to explain.

But Mandal failed to appear on Monday, leading to the panel to suspend him. According to sources, once the governing body’s recommendation is approved by DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi, the suspension will start taking effect (Indian Express).

Indian Express also noted that pursuant to the results of investigation by a five-member enquiry committee, a decision will be taken on Mandal’s suspension.

Mandal is not the first faculty member to be suspended. Earlier in March, a suspended DU professor GN Saibaba was sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court for supporting the ideology of a banned Maoist organisation and “waging war” against India (New Indian Express).

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